


Point, Shoot, and Run

by Laplace_Aura



Category: Pocket Monsters: HeartGold & SoulSilver | Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver Versions
Genre: Angst, Child Neglect, Gen, Gun Violence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Jouto-chihou | Johto, One Shot, Pokemon, Pokemon Trainers, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Team Rocket (Pokemon), The Elite Four (Pokemon), Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:13:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22015424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laplace_Aura/pseuds/Laplace_Aura
Summary: After being recruited into the Indigo League's battle against Team Rocket, Lyra is tasked by Lance with infiltrating and sabotaging a base. He gives her a backup plan.It's easier to use it when you have it.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Point, Shoot, and Run

**Lance’s Words Echo In Her Head**  
_"Point, shoot, and run." he said._  
And she did with the gun he’d given her.

 **Lance’s Words Echo In Her Head**  
_"You have a job to do. This is an exit if you get in over your head."_  
And she did when she’d gone into the rocket base.

  


* * *

Her hand fumbled as she tried to reach for her the pokeball. One, two. eXeter went from laying on the ground in a crumpled heap of bat to a swirling mass of energy in the ball, and in his place she shouts, “Go! Azumi!” 

_She has the advantage against his houndour, we can do this._

  


* * *

One, two, three, four, five. Five fainted pokeballs lie in front of her. 

**Elm’s Words Echo In Her Head**   
_“Remember Lyra, if a pokemon faints your priority is getting them healed.” the bookish professor stated. For once he wasn’t stumbling in his words like he would in front of the classes he’d visited while she was growing up, or in front of crowds when he’d go up on stage._

_“In the wild they would collapse into energy and seek the nearest space to recover, or risk predation.” He continued, and for a bit it felt like just reminding her of what she’d learned so far in school, but he had this look in his eyes she couldn’t place. Elm wasn’t normally like this, and the way she was feeling wasn’t normally like this._

_“Pokeballs on the other hand don’t heal pokemon, they just keep them going alright as they can. A pokemon who’s fainted and kept in a pokeball can heal, but for the most part the longer they’re in that critical state the more chance there is for something to go wrong.”_

_The pit in her stomach yawned, reminding her it still existed._

_“Do you know why I’m telling you this Lyra? Do you know why it’s important”_

For a moment her inhaler becomes more important than her mistakes, more important than the reminders from adults. She digs through her bag. 

  


* * *

_“And we’re back, you’re on Kara!”_

"Welcome to those joining us at Johto Broadcasting Network’s 2 pm broadcast. Before the break we brought you the latest on the incident that happened this morning in Olivine. After the events in Mahogany Town it’s become clear Team Rocket has no intent of disappearing into the shadows like they did five years ago."

"Today at approximately 9:52 am on the outskirts of Olivine City a shooting occured at an up-harbor warehouse. Eye-witnesses place the shooter as a team rocket grunt. More disturbing is that this not only continues a trend in Team Rocket incidents, but further solidifies the fact that they are recruiting the children of regions they’re active in to aid in their efforts."

"In a moment we’ll be joined by Professor Wormwood the First with her expert perspective on these developments. At 5 we’ll be speaking with one of the students who were on a field trip at the time and witness to the shooting. And at 8 we’ll have an exclusive interview with champion Lance on what his plan of action from here on out will be when it comes to team rocket's return."

  


* * *

“Arbok, using poison fang!” 

A cry nearly came out for the sake of her meganium as she took the poison fang to fore-shoulder- 

**Lance’s Words Echo In Her Head**  
_"If you have any legitimate intent on defeating me as champion then you need to get serious. Your generation is at risk of being considered a failed one, but you have a chance."_

_"Do you understand that’s why I bothered? To ask your help taking down Team Rocket in the first place? To hand you a weapon in-case your back gets against the wall?"_

_"You don’t need any further training Lyra than my instructions. All you need is to point, shoot, and run."_

_The dragon-type specialist turned around. He had more to do than babysit Lyra, as he’d made it clear before. He had to do it again, because she wasn’t better than this by now. She should be, so why wasn’t she strong as she looked?_

“Hibby, return.” 

“Hey kid you forfeiting? You g---a face the music and ---cking everything up?” 

She returned her starter’s pokeball to it’s place, but her hands didn’t return until they had a firm grip on it. 

_Point._

What he was saying wasn’t important anymore. It wasn’t clear anymore, just a series of far away barks. 

_Shoot._

Not barks. Screams. Panic. 

_And Run._

Getting further away. Bumping into them, pushing to the side of the wall, the cool air on her face as she’s out. 

  


* * *

“Exactly Miss Kara, that’s why this turn of events is so disturbing. It shows a willingness of Team Rocket, possibly desperation, to not only begin using conventional weaponry, but to be arming children.”

"Let’s forget the shooting for just a moment, what would you say is driving our kids to join Team Rocket?”

“It’s simple. As my contemporaries have been echoing amongst themselves for a brief while, this generation may be a failed one.”

“For the viewer at home, what does that mean?”

“It means a variety of things. We’re seeing an increased rate of new trainers taking on journeys, dropouts from the education system here and in Kanto. Unfortunately we’re also seeing an increased rate in time it takes for a journey, and a decrease in how far they make it. While unemployment isn’t taking too much of a hit and neither is the chance of apathy among our youth, there is a disconcerting trend in how they view their peers and authority figures.”

“Where does that become important to how and why minors join Team Rocket?”

“The children we’re seeing join aren’t mature enough to handle the disappointment parents are experiencing, and are looking for structure that rewards what merits they can accomplish. Like Team Rocket, it’s a matter of desperation. Any chance for a future, from their perspective.”

“And back to the main topic, what makes a kid willing to actually accept a firearm put into their hands, and use it like we saw today?”

“At this point they’re willing to take whatever risk they’re told to. The alternative is failure in the last place they seem to belong.”

  


* * *

Lyra looks at Hibby’s ball on the ground as she puts her hair back up, the last step before she can return to paved streets. Ecruteak isn’t too far off, and with how long it’s been the jennies probably haven’t set up a block at the west exit gate. 

Hibby should be strong enough to handle anything on these backroads. She should be able to. Lyra should be able to. 

**Lance’s Words Echo In Her Head**  
_You’re the trainer who’s calmed the Red Gyarados for now, correct?_

_Good, I’m Lance, the champion. We’ve collected info recently that the pharmacy in Mahogany may be a base for who’s behind this. We think it’s team rocket, that they’re back.  
We could use your help getting things back to normal Lyra._

Her pokegear is ringing. It’s 10:40.  
It’s her mom.  


**Author's Note:**

> "so Lance used his poke to attack unarmed people while raiding the mahogany town base, and then recruited a minor into the fight against team rocket, so there's probably Some Stuff going on there".  
> Based off game+manga content regarding the e4 and Lance. He isn't a TR member, but has roped Lyra into this based on her skills. This situation isn't helping her own personal issues, and causes new ones for her.
> 
> I have a rough timeline for my pokeverse, plans for worldbuilding+lore, and a few projects in mind. Lyra may come back in another oneshot, but for now this is the only work I had with her in mind. The canon of my verse will probably be a little loose (but not as uh, canon pokemon)  
> Thank you so much for reading my first oneshot on the site. Comments/reviews are very welcome!!  
> Big thanks to the Thousand Roads discord server members for help formatting+editing this work.


End file.
